R Books

This was my 4 girls' favorite book EVER when they were little. I highly recommend it for any and all children out there.

A Seuss-style easy reader just made for dog lovers of all ages. A classic in every sense and a wonderful book to read to little ones just emerging into reading on their own. The colorful illustrations keep your child's attention, along with the dog action! My kids love this book and I recommend it. For the same ages, another colorful easy reader is Ladybug Baby Bug, by Janice and Mark Perkins. I really think you'll enjoy both in your home collection.

So of course it thrills my heart that my two nieces (2.5 and 5) like it too.

This book is really an early reader, it's not *intended* for children under that age, though of course it can function as a read-aloud for little-little ones. (Not always - my younger niece won't always sit through this one, it's a bit long!)

There are two running plots in the book, one about hats, and one about where the dogs are all ultimately going; these two plots meet marvelously at the end of the book. (For *months*, I couldn't go a day without having to re-enact "Do you like my hat? I do, I like that hat, what a party hat!" with the older niece!)

Most of the book, however, is caught up with just basic vocabulary words, mostly about dogs - "One dog going in, three dogs going out" or "The sun is up, the sun is yellow, the yellow sun is over the house".

This can be a little tedious, but I the kids don't seem to think so - even at their fidgiest, they want me to say every word.

This is my favorite book of all time. I can't recommend it highly enough. If the "dog party in the trees" doesn't make you weep with joy, I don't know what will. For the last forty years or so, I have been looking -- and I mean this literally, not figuratively -- for said party. That's a bit cracked, I know, but I just can't help myself.

I hadn't seen this book for at least 25 years or more, until my mom started reading it to my son (her grandson). I was instantly transported back to my own young childhood, to the point where I remembered pages before turning to them. I remembered where the dogs were going and why they were going fast -- they were going to a dog party, a big dog party!

Our 2.5 year old boy really loves this book, and even more satisfying, I can see it really making him think about language and how to say things. Beyond the little "romance" story line, I personally think the main benefit of this book is that it shows a little one how the English language works.

Think prepositions. If you've ever tried to learn a foreign language or know one, you'll know that prepositions, and how they work are among the most difficult things to master. This book shows how most of them work, for example, "two dogs, in a house, on a boat, in the water," illustrated to demonstrate the meaning.

Our little guy is growing up bilingual (American Dad, Italian Mom), so his speaking is somewhat delayed as he sorts everything out. It was a true joy to hear him the other night say "green up" (well, more like "geen up") and "yellow down" for the page where "the green dog is up, and the yellow dog is down."

So, as the many other reviews have noted, there is so much positive about this book, and I join the others in recommending it very much. Fun, educational, and interesting to look at -- what more could there be in a kids' book?

Save your money. This book contains out dated websites and scant information that is readily available on the internet, and in far more informative detail. The secrets are hardly that, and many one page articles on the internet can give you all the information you need to know.

This book includes all the components required to put a non-fiction book proposal together. It identifies critical key statements, activities and subjects to research and include.

I found myself writing a heading for each section to detail in my own proposal, leaving a space to work with it later, and continuing to read. I got a good overview and was left with the key sections I needed to work on.

What I was left with were clear statements and paragraphs for my proposal, with missing sections left blank for research or further thought. It was well organized.

The examples at the back helped me to bring it all together.

Whalin writes from having been on both sides of the book publishing desk: acquisitions editor, literary agent and writer. When marketing nonfiction or fiction with a book proposal, this book will be invaluable to your efforts. Whalin tells you what the editor and agent look for in a book proposal they can accept. The book presents a comprehensive guide to writing nonfiction book proposals. If you've completed a novel you want to market, you will also need to write a book proposal; many parts of this book will apply to the fiction writer's book proposal. Whalin references authentic resources that give a roadmap to completing a fiction book proposal. On page 102 Whalin writes, "The proposals that sell, however, are the ones in which the author thoroughly presents the concept and includes all of the necessary information." Then in an appendix he includes a checklist to use when preparing nonfiction book proposals. I recommend the book.

This book is a great introduction to book publishing. The author really knows the back-end process of book publishing well and provides much insight for beginner and intermediate writers. Another good book to purchase would be: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published, 4th Edition. While Terry's book is great, the Complete Idiots guide touches on a few areas in addition. All in all Terry's book is a very good book and worth the money.

What I like about this book is that fact that it tells you the things you need to know PRIOR to actually writing that non-fiction. I am so glad I bought it because it will save me a lot of time and effort. Now that I read it, I now have a "vision" on how to approach writing that book and weave it into a successful manuscript. It also saves me time surfing the Internet searching for guidance on how to write a winning book proposal. This book tells it all. From book conception, to submission, to marketing, and much, much more. Its a must read before writing.

Illustrates animals going to bed! I love books that show everyone is going to sleep!

What a wonderful story! The rhyming text is a pleasure to read, and the book progresses from day to night, making it a perfect bedtime story. I've read it so many times to my five year old twins that we now know it by heart. Get it!!!

My son loves to read books, but this one does not keep his attention. He likes Goodnight Moon, the Boyton Books, and others, but this doesn't keep his interest. I do like that it shows various animals and their noises.

This is one of my favorite books to read to my son. The prose is beautiful, concise, and profound. It's a very subtle book and takes some quiet time to truly appreciate it. The Big Red Barn is a picture of utopia; animals coexisting in peace, playing throughout the day, and then resting at night.

I was given this book as a gift just after my son was born. He is now coming up to three months and this is a book I just love to read to him. I am an animal lover myself and so I like the fact it is based around animals. I think the pictures are great and he is already taking a good look at them. The next step for me will be taking him to see the animals in person but until that happens we will live on the farm through this book. I have found it very pleasant to read as it has a basic rhythm to it, which means I don't mind repeating it which I am sure will help him with his development. I would recommend this book to many!!

I grew up with Angelique as my mother was a big fan. We used to watch the movies all the time. I only wish the books and the movies were available in the US to buy as i would definitely be a buyer of both series

I first read the Angelique series when I was in high school, 30 years ago. Her story always stayed with me. At one time I had ALL the Angelique books (that is all the ones published in english). I went looking for them the other day to reread them. I can't find them! I can't believe I got rid of them!!!ARGH! Now Angelique is selling for $45! I now have to buy all the books again to reread them.

I would compare "Angelique" to "Kristen Lavransdatter" by Sigrid Undset. Heroines like these come along once in a generation.

The book traces Angelique's story from her childhood in Poitou to her arranged marriage to the horribly disfigured Comte de Peyrac. Her days as a criminal in the Court of Miracles, her time in the tower of Nesle and finally her triumph.

The detailed research in these books is mind boggling. It was this book that sparked my interest in Louis XIV and French history. Everything in these books is based on historical facts. In Angelique La Voisin predictes that the King will love Mme de Montespan and Angelique but that he will marry Mme Scarron. This is what actually happened! The poison conspiracy also is historically documented. Sergeanne Golon is not the only author(s) to write about The Court of Miracles. In "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" a large part of the action takes place in the Court of Miracles. If you look at a Michelin guide map of Paris the Court of Miracles is identified on it.

For Angelique readers here is a list of her books in chronological order:

Angelique (sometimes appears as two books Marquise of the Angels & The Road to Versailles)

Angelique and the King

Angelique and the Sultan (Angelique in Barbary)

Angelique in Revolt

Angelique in Love

The Countess Angelique (Angelique in the New World)

The Temptation of Angelique

Angelique and the Demon

Angelique and the Ghosts

I am not surprised to see that nearly every single review of this book is 5 stars. The book IS that good.

Anyone fortunate enough to first read these books while young (I was in my late teens), will very likely want to read and re-reread them as he/she gets older. I do, and simply cannot recommend them highly enough. One of the reviewers here states that Anne and Serge are born storytellers but is misinformed: Serge did indeed produce writings, but he was primarily a scientist and he provided invaluable research for earlier Angelique books; their historical accuracy, human insight and fluid yet economical prose were, and remain today, the key to their enormous success. Anne and Serge Golon combined their very different talents but Serge was adamant in crediting the authorship to his wife. For your information, Serge died in 1972 but, so far as I know, as of May 2007, Anne is still alive and resides in Versailles. There are various websites, www.worldofangelique.com, Wikipedia, etc.

The Angelique series (actually 10 book) is one of the most enjoyable reads, as well as movies. It has everything one would want in a story: action, adventure, secrets, love, hatred and revenge in the time of Luis XIV. Although the story is far more interesting while Angelique is still in France (the first 5 books), her adventures in America/Canada are also pretty good. Unfortunately, it is impossible to find a new edition in the English language. I am lucky enough to be bilingual and was easily able to find the new editions of the full series (and the movies) in Russian, it has never been out-of-print in that language. However, I would love to reread it in English. The mini-series is also fantastic although it takes some liberty with the written plot and Michele Mercier is the perfect Angelique. If you can get it (in any language) the book is a must read and the mini-series is a must see!

I started reading this series in the 70's while travelling enroute to my husbands next military assignment. I have read them 4 different times in a period of 20 years. Just getting ready to read the 9 books again since it has been apx. 5 years and I can't wait to re-read them. After reading the reviews in this section, I was astounded to learn that it has been made into a series in some countries on tv? Wow, what a fantastic series it would be for HBO or one of those broadcast companies! I am hoping that they are published as one person mentioned here as leather bound copies for collection. My copies are yellowed, tattered and torn but "saved" nonetheless, for re-reading. Thank you for all this wonderful information and please add my pleas to have it re-published as soon as possible.

I felt that this was a nice "thought for a day" book. He offers some very sound and basic ways of living with values. It is a quick read and enjoyable.

I bought this book for my student/athlete son. I had him read the book and find five things that he could immediately apply to his life. The book is written in such a manner that the parallels between sports and life are seamlessly interwoven. By using sports as a platform of relativity, I feel I am raising my son to be a confident and responsible man. This is a must-read for fathers and sons.

This is one of my favorite books of tidbits. Basically coach Wooden gives his ideas on life, hard work, sports and manners. Through different stories of his life and experiences.

It really was a pleasure reading this book and I feel that the philosophy of coach wooden, based on hard work, trust, learning and being a good person is straight forward and a throw back to simpler values.

I have never heard of John Wooden until last Thursday. This book was recommended to me by two friends, as first I thought how is a retired basket coach going to give me some direction and clarity on life? WOW!!!!! Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down! I took to every word and read it in one evening (not a long read, but it makes you ponder over each sentence) and I was really sad that the book was coming to an end. It's an amazing book, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it anyone no matter where you're at in life. This is a book that I will refer back to time and time again throughout my life (I just know it!).

John Wooden has been blessed with such wisdom and he has used this blessing to build up and influence millions of people, young and old. I have many books by John Wooden and even though I usually buy them sight unseen I know I will never be disappointed...and I never have. This particular book is jammed packed with wonderful, thought provoking quotes and stories. I will treasure this book, along with all his others, forever.

im 24, altho i read these books when i was still the intended age.... i was going thru some old things, donating most of what was there, but i loved these books when i was young, so i wanted to read them one more time before i gave them away.... i ended up buying 3 more to add to my collection! morbid, yes! but great stories that keep you hooked, no matter what age you are. if nothing else, the historic side of things makes them that much more interesting

this came to me in great shape and just what i wanted. thank you

I highly recommend the Betrayel because it will tell you the secret about the unspeakable terror that has haunted Fear street for the last 300 years. Its about this girl name susannah goode falls in love with Edward Feir and they both want to get married. But Edwards father forbids him from seeing her so he framed susannah and her mother of being witches and burned them at the stake. William Goode , Susannah`s father , wanted revenge against the feir family so he traveled to every colony to find them. This book will tell all about two feuding who caused terror on fear street for 300 years.

I am 24 years old and I still love Fear Street. I read this saga over 10 years ago and I started thinking about it a few months ago for some reason. I looked in book stores but it was order only, so I didn't bother. Finally my husband told me to go on Amazon and order it. After all, we would be going to the beach for Labor Day weekend and I don't like going into the water, so reading material is a must.

I'm almost done with the first book, and I love it. I feel like a teen again.

I really like this book because of the mystery and the betrayal and also the dark things that happen. In the book there is a example of betrayal between the two families because the Feirs light a huge fire
at the Goodes, house and believe it or not the Goodes and the Feirs use to be friends.

This book takes place in Massachusetts where two families the Goodes, and the Feirs have been in a battle for years.There had been a great fire that had taken two special people away from William Goode. One was his wife Martha Goode ,the other was Susannah Goode, his daughter. Now William seeks revenge on Matthew and his whole family.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery and horror books and R.L Stine books.There is a second book but I have not chosen to read it because it gets slow at the end and they talk about the same things over and over.

This is a great book for kids, even young ones around 2.5 years old. It's an engaging story and my son loves the part where the man wakes up to find his hats gone, and looks up and sees all the monkeys wearing the hats! He asks me to read it everynight, and remembers the phrase "caps for sale."

I loved this book as a child and I love sharing it with my children.

Years ago, a unique peddler stood out from other salespeople because he carried all his goods on top of his head. He neatly stacked a bunch of gray, brown, blue, and red caps in a single pile and carefully balanced them on his head as he walked through town, calling "Caps! Caps for Sale! Fifty cents a cap!" But alas, on this particular day, no one purchases a cap. With no money to buy lunch, the peddler opts for a walk and a nap in the countryside instead. His troubles multiply when he wakes up to the sight of a group of playful monkeys in the treetop, each wearing one of his caps for sale. How will he get the caps back?

This classic story, reissued in a new hardcover edition, does not grow old with its humor, ingenuity, and charm. Underlying the story is an important set of economics concepts related to buyers and sellers in the goods market. If the demand for caps had been a little stronger, the peddler may have been able to avoid this whole predicament, but therein lies the book's merriment. Caps for Sale gets top marks for delivering a story with substantive content that children will enjoy and remember.

This is one of the few books I remember my elementary school librarian reading to us during my childhood. I loved the story of the multi colored caps balancing on the peddler's head as he walked through town yelling "caps for sale!" Then to find that as he napped, his caps disappeared. Looking around for them post-nap, he discovers a band of monkeys in the tree wearing them. He tries to get the caps back but each time he yells at the monkeys, they just ape his actions. Finally they throw the caps down and he continues on his way selling his multi-colored caps. I highly recommend this book for all children. My daughter is 2, almost 3, and she also LOVES this story. She finds the monkeys funny - especially how I imitate their actions.

This makes the top ten list out of all the great picture books we read to our kids when they were young. I never tired of reading it. So simple, symmetric, even musical. The story? How does the peddler get the monkeys to give back all the caps they've stolen from him and carried up into the tree? Okay, I'm the publisher of One Monkey Books, so call me biased. But try this one on your three or five or year old, and really get into singing, "Caps for sale! Caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!" It's been around for ages already, and this book will still be there when your kids are having kids. Nutty to Meet You! Dr. Peanut Book #1

Ah yes, Magic the Gathering. The child of Richard Garfield, run through dark magic and incest by the terrifying and evil Wizards of the Coast. I still play Magic, but it will never be like the old days, before Wizards of the Coast became huge. This book was written during the old days, and I reread it every couple years to remind myself of how cool the CCG world was back then.

Arena tells us a story of Garth One-Eye, a mysterious fighter who can control the flow of mana, as he plays a game of cat and mouse (where he's the mouse) in a city ready to tear him apart. Anyone who has seen a Clint Eastwood film will get numerous rushes of recognition. The basic plot of the book follows A Fistful of Dollars, with Garth playing the ruling houses of the city against each other.

So it's a rehash of a familiar plot. Does that make it bad? No. For one thing, it's a familiar plot, but we have to admit it was an entertaining plot as well. And there are twists and turns in this story that go off on their own (albiet Magic the Gathering inspired) direction. But don't be surprised if you start imagining Garth with that Clint sharpness in his voice.

Why read this book? First of all, if you're a fan of the old Magic the Gathering editions, you have to read it, just so you can say you have. Second of all, even if you're not a fan of magic, while it will lose about 10% of its goodness, it's still a great read, easy to pick up and hard to put down.

Any complaints? Only a couple. One, the sequels (by a different author) follow completely different characters and while a couple from Arena appear in later books, the cameos don't quite do them justice. Another downside is that one of the characters, Kirlen, was a potential gold mine of development and plot that only barely gets used.

But I reccomend Arena, especially if it's as cheap as I think it is these days. Pick it up before your next airplane flight or bus ride. It will keep you thouroughly entertained. And it may even make you want to play Magic again.

Although the book is obviously part of the MTG series and world. It really is by far a great stand alone sci-fi fantasy book. This book single handedly intrigued me enough to go out and buy MTG cards and additional MTG books in the series. The card game is ok to play and the rest of the MTG books are not worth the money. However this book is an incredible read, it is no Thomas Paine or Thoreau, obviously, but it is a very entertaining little book. I highly recommend it if you enjoy sci-fi books.

I read this book when it first came out. And still to this day I remember it being a great read and I just recently purchased it again and re-lived the experience. This is one of my 10 ten favorite books.

The main question on your mind right now has got to be "But isn't this just using a name to sell books?"

And I can tell you no. They could have easily just slapped together some drivel, put the Magic logo on it with the card offer, and it would have sold probably just as well. While you may appreciate its connections to the card game, it's not necessary to enjoy the book. The author adds much to a, at the time, thin background to realize a whole city and a system of magic.

The story does seem to come down to the childish, but not too often, and not enough to distract me from the rest of the book. The best part is learning about the different schools of magic and the people that head them!

The worst of these, let's call them childish asides, is that they put in some PG-13 stuff in that takes up all of a page. During the rest of the book the only reference to it is the phrase "It meant nothing", which comes out more than once. Which is true of the story as well, it meant nothing. It's just added as an afterthought I'm sure, to tantalize the younger reader. As I said however, the main story grabbed me unrelentlessly in such a manner that I could overlook such things.

This is a stand-alone book and, as I understand, does not have any direct connection to the rest of the series (new or old).

It's an unfortunate curse that all popular franchises have. You know what I'm talking about - that horrid thing known as over marketing. You start with one thing that that's pretty cool on its own, like a trading card game, or a video game, or even a book. Then someone realizes that there is so much more money to be made by the unsuspecting masses, who are oblivious to the fact that they are about to be bombarded with some of the most ridiculous drivel ever conceived of by mankind. Before you know it, what was once just a really great game, is now an abominable never ending landslide of action figures, T.V. shows, DVD series, full movie theatrical releases, clothing lines, coffee mug sets, and backpacks! Who could possibly live without those awesome new Pokemon sandals? The price for them is unbelievably low - it just costs the tattered remains of your dignity!

The curse has spread to Magic: The Gathering in the form of the novel "Arena". Now we've got an unending series of books that follows all the new releases of the different card sets (which will continue until people realize "Hey, I've spent the majority of the money I've ever made on more and more new cards trying to make a non-existant perfect deck. I need to accept that I have an addiction and quit"). What we've got here is a book that should be absolutely freaking awesome - I mean come on, the entire universe of Magic is already pre-made for the author, William Forstchen. He doesn't have to make ANYTHING up himself. Mr. Forstchen could have given us an amazing plot-driven book with tons of character progression, believable dialogue, and an incredible story. With the entire historical background, geographical areas, major characters, and system of magic already done for him, there should have been plenty of time allocated to giving the readers the most amazing book ever made. Obviously, that didn't happen.

Judging this book solely as a part of the Magic: The Gathering universe, it's pretty good. Lots of out of control combat, gratuitous sex for no apparent reason (and completely contradicting a character's previous statements about his views on sexual intimacy), and an "under-dog" figure who is able to take down the current not-so-nice all powerful deity figure. It's a pre-pubescent boy's dream come true. Judging "Arena" as a stand alone novel, against all the other fantasy novels out there, it certainly ranks among the most trite, self-serving, completely pointless books of the last century. Why give it even 2 stars then? Because, unfortunately, book series based on games are judged by a different standard. Their merit as a novel has to be balanced with how well they stay true to the themes and tone of the game (which this does decently), while keeping in mind that because they exist solely to make company X more money, there will be all kinds of unnecessary stuff packed in to please all the fanboys. If only we treated game based novels as they should be - by holding them up to a HIGHER standard than most fantasy novels (for the above mentioned reason - all the work is already done for the author), but experience has taught that, against all logic, game based novels tend to be substandard in comparison. The use of vivid, or even adequate, description in "Arena" is passed over in favor of popular buzz words in order to keep the action moving at a fast enough pace. For example, when describing a battle between two wizards, the author actually wrote the sentence "He summoned some Llanowar elves". Now keep in mind there is no material either before or after that describes what Llanowar elves are - what they look like (anyone whose played the card game will have seen them, but this leaves all other readers completely out of the loop), what they do, or why they were chosen over any other creature. The most important aspect, the actual details of the summoning, is left out as well. We aren't given any description at all of how the magician accomplishes this feat, which is honestly just sloppy writing.

"Arena" isn't 100% bad writing though. There are some genuinely interesting characters and situations present, although they aren't used very effectively. The character line up starts off with a one-eyed magician/fighter type who is known as a Hannin, because he doesn't belong to any of the guild houses. Curiously, several previous reviewers of this book commented on what an amazing mystery it was to figure out who Garth really is. Obviously they didn't read the blurb on the back of the novel, as it blatantly gives away the "secret", or any of the hints placed throughout the book that were about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the stomach. Next, there is a woman belonging to the intriguing Benalish caste system, which isn't given nearly enough detail as it should have. The obligatory fiery read head type who is too strong willed for her own good makes an appearance here, as well as the old man who isn't really what he seems. The main characters aside, the most fun part of this novel is reading about the four guild leaders and their various vices (although they were done WAY over the top, and again, no attempt at subtlety is made here). The character with the most potential is Kirlen, the leader of the guild called Bolk. Having lived for an incredible length of time by using rejuvenation spells and potions, her body has withered away to the point that she could almost be labeled an undead creature. Kirlen was once the lover of the "big baddy" in the story, and he betrayed her to attain the power to become a Planeswalker - a being who can travel to different dimensions and has near godlike powers. While this could have been the most interesting story arc, it was unfortunately relegated to an un-important backstory, just some filler to tack on the pages.

If you are a hardcore fan of Magic: The Gathering you will probably drink this thing up like it's the elixir of life and then rant about how it's the "best novel ever". Anyone looking for a good fantasy novel with any real substance should probably steer clear, though.

We have found this resource wonderful. There's more in this book than I could have asked for gardening, preserving, how to chop would, how to make tools... Our 10 year old son enjoys reading it too and learning about how to really make items that he would use. We were looking for a resource to help us "survive" if need be on our own, also we were looking for items that were more cost effective in this hard economy. Great resource!

One of my top ten books. I am an avid outdoorsman and believe in being prepared(Boy Scout Motto) to take care of one's self "off the grid". This book might as well be my bible. It does skim a little on some subjects but on the whole it gives a thorough enough explanation of all the skills one would need to scout out, build, propagate, and flourish on a frontier farm. Excellent illustrations to accompany all the subjects.

My only thing to change about it would be a slightly larger thickness of stock for the pages. I know this would make this rather large book even heavier but the pages have a tendency to bunch and fall midway through the book. A slight qualm about an otherwise flawless book. Read it flat to avoid this problem.

If you want to learn about how to be completely self sufficient I highly recommend this book.

This book will teach you best tips and tricks for raising your own food, and a whole lot more. I purchased it as a replacement of my original book that I bought in the early '80s. I was so thankful it is still around! I wore the cover right off my old book and passed it onto a friend in need of this knowledge.

If you are into living off the land and need advice on how to do it, get this book!

This book starts with selecting property for building a home and continues through construction to maintenance and entertainment. It contains much detailed knowledge and each subject is well explained. Graphics and illustrations are good and well formed. I would recommend this book for any home builder, farmer, do-it-yourselfer or alternative urbanite.

Until I checked this book out of the library, I had rarely given a thought to getting "back to basics," that is learning how to be more self-sufficient. After I read the book, I soon bought it, because it opened my eyes to the many ways that I am almost entirely dependent upon others for my basic needs. "Back to Basics" is a helpful guide for those who want to get away from it all and live totally independently on a farm, and even those like myself that live in town, but that want to become more self-sufficient, and less dependent on expensive fossil fuels and foods that someone else has raised or grown.

"Back to Basics" is a colorful, easy-to-understand encyclopedia of basic skills. There are hundreds of color photos, and most lessons are laid out step-by-step, making the concepts very easy to learn. The book is divided into six basic parts:

I. Land: Buying It - Building on it (how to choose land, build a home, develop a water supply, create a sauna, etc)

II. Energy from Wood, Water, Wind, and Sun (making your home more efficient, how to use wind energy, setting up a solar-powered house, etc)

III. Raising Your Own Vegetables, Fruit, and Livestock (how to properly grow all sorts of fruits, vegetables, and grains, how to farm fish, beekeeping, butchering an animal, etc)

IV. Enjoying Your Harvest Year Round (canning, preserving all kinds of foods, making cheese and wine, etc)

V. Skills and Crafts for House and Homestead (making natural dyes, weaving, woodworking, stenciling, soapmaking, making homemade perfumes, etc)

VI. Recreation at Home and in the Wild (camping, canoeing, kayaking, celebrating holidays, etc)

This book definitely has the potential to help all of us live more self-sufficiently, learning to do the things that our grandparents probably learned growing up. However, one possible drawback is that becoming self-sufficient takes a lot of work, and in the case of switching your home over to some type of alternative energy, a lot of money as well. Most readers are probably not going to have the land, time, and money to make some of the more significant changes suggested. However, the book still offers a lot for the rest of us, and at the least, educates us as to what it takes to live in a self-sufficient manner. Another possible drawback is that the book tries to squeeze a lot of information into 456 pages. This means that while you are getting a very concise, and surprisingly detailed, overview, you may need to consult more detailed sources if you need more help than what the book offers.

Overall, this is an interesting and useful book that offers practical ways to become more self-sufficient, something that is highly relevant in these times of rising energy and food prices. My family has already used some of the ideas, starting our first garden this year.

My grandson loves his monster books and this was one goes right in with them. Cute book!

i am a grandmother and thought the book was wonderful--we will have to wait to see what my grandson thinks.

My son just turned four and loves monsters. This book is adorable and fun. A great easy read before bed.

I use this book as a way to teach my first graders describing words/adjectives. Each page in the story as at least 2 describing words for the kids to identify such as color, shape, and feeling words. The kids then draw their own monsters (I give them wiggly eyes) and writing to share. A fun activity for sure!

My preschool class loves this book, and asks for it more often than any other book.